California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: prescribed fire, reforestation, habitat restoration, thinning, or fuel reduction projects.

Assembly Member Sanchez proposes permanently extending California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions for specific forestry projects on federal lands that have undergone federal environmental review. The exemptions, currently set to expire in 2028, apply to prescribed fire, reforestation, habitat restoration, thinning, and fuel reduction projects aimed at reducing high-severity wildfire risks.

The exemption applies when state or local agencies primarily provide funding or staffing, or when projects are undertaken through federal Good Neighbor Authority agreements. Lead agencies must file exemption notices with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and county clerks, post notices online with links to federal environmental review documents, and submit documentation to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection when it is not the lead agency. The bill maintains existing provisions allowing the Natural Resources Agency Secretary to report substantial changes in federal environmental laws affecting California forest management to the Legislature by February 2027.

While extending CEQA exemptions creates a state-mandated local program through ongoing procedural requirements, the bill specifies that local agencies and school districts require no state reimbursement, as they retain authority to levy service charges and fees sufficient to cover associated costs. The measure preserves current grant-making authorities for forest health projects and advance payment provisions for eligible entities, including tribes, nonprofits, and local agencies.